


Speak Sweet To Me In The Dark

by lazy_storm_clouds



Category: American Housewife (TV)
Genre: Also this was when they never quite turned the camera enough for me to see there were 2 beds, Apologies, Canon-Compliant, Gen, Immediately follows 5x03, No longer canon-compliant, One-Shot, SO, There was only 1 bed lol, for now, it's that same night, soft bois
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:07:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27693887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lazy_storm_clouds/pseuds/lazy_storm_clouds
Summary: Cooper is left feeling uneasy from the conversation after dinner. He needs to do something about it.
Relationships: Cooper Bradford & Oliver Otto
Comments: 12
Kudos: 42





	Speak Sweet To Me In The Dark

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, this is the first thing I've written for American Housewife. I hope you all enjoy it!

Cooper stared up at the ceiling, his head on his arms. It’d been a long day and he was spent. Oliver was back to talking to him and that made him absolutely thrilled, but things still felt a little off. They’d cleared up their problems earlier and even found a way to spend more time together. But Cooper still had that nagging feeling that things were left unfinished. So, he spoke. 

“I’m sorry I was snippy and jealous. I just wanted you to pay attention to me like you used to.”

He felt Oliver shift on the bed next to him. He finally looked away from the ceiling to see Oliver watching him, a hand propping up his head.

“No, man, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have been ignoring you or getting mad.” 

“Yeah,” Cooper moved until he was mirroring Oliver’s position. “But I should’ve talked to you about it. Not… acted like I did.” 

“I should’ve too. It’s not all on you, Coop. Mom’s right, we’re roommates now and we just have to adjust to the change. We might not be able to spend a lot of time together at home, but we can still work together. And we’ll still be at school together. And we’ll have moments like this where we can talk. We’ll grow used to it eventually.”

“Yeah. Eventually. We’ll grow together?” 

“Yeah, we’ll grow together. Dude?” _We’re on the same page then?_

“Dude.” _Yes, also I’m sorry I watched Below Deck without you._

Oliver’s face cracked into a soft grin and a huff of laughter escaped him. Cooper’s shoulders started to drop as the tension eased. 

“Dude.” _You’re forgiven. Can I have some more covers?_

“Dude.” _No._

Cooper held tight to the comforter and rolled over to face the window, taking most of it with him. Oliver reached for him as he rolled and tussled with him for a moment over the comforter. It was a failed effort. Cooper wouldn’t give up the comforter for anything. 

Oliver flopped onto his back and rolled his eyes, the smile still on his face. 

“Night, Coop.” 

He missed the smile on Cooper’s face at his words. 

* * *

Katie knocked on Oliver and Cooper’s bedroom door.

“Boys, time to get u-,” the door stuck before she could even finish opening it. “Okay, this ain’t gonna work!” 

Cooper and Oliver stirred in bed. Neither moved any further than that. Katie squeezed her way through the door and looked around her. There was no available space. None. She didn’t understand how they even managed to move around in that mess. 

“As nice as this all is for you two,” she said in a saccharine voice. “We’re fixing it.” 

She made sure to yell just loud enough that the boys might actually get up. The next attempt would be water. Although, getting back through the door would be hell. Eh, she’d just send Anna-Kat or Taylor to do it. 

“Hey, wake up!” 

Cooper and Oliver sat up slowly. Oliver shot her a look usually reserved for when she made him do something stupid as punishment for whatever scheme he’d done. Cooper just leaned heavily on Oliver’s shoulder and blearily looked at her. 

“Huh?” Cooper’s voice was barely audible. 

“You got too much stuff, Cooper.” 

He shrugged. Mornings were definitely not an easy thing in this house. 

Cooper’s jaw cracked into a yawn. 

“I suppose I can send my formal wear and last spring’s clothes to the Florida estate, but—”

“No, no,” Katie laughed. “You two are going to fix up the basement. We’ll throw in a bed in there and Cooper’ll have his own room. And I’ll be able to dump water on you two again to wake you up.” 

Cooper and Oliver exchanged a look, unease wiping away any remaining traces of sleep. This would just be another big change. How would they do this? 

“Now, start getting ready. You have to go to school.” 

Katie squeezed her way back through the door and into the hallway. It wasn’t until she’d started descending the stairs that the boys’ attention shifted. Cooper sat up from Oliver’s shoulder and just watched him. He was picking at invisible threads on the comforter. 

Cooper’s eyes lit up as an idea started forming. 

“Ya know, I don’t have to _sleep_ in the basement.” 

“What?” Oliver’s head lifted, eyebrows drawn in confusion. 

“Mom said I have too much stuff. So, we just move most of my stuff.” 

“Well, yeah, but it’s not that easy.”

“Oh, yeah? Why not,” he challenged, lifting his chin. 

“You’d have to go to the basement every day anytime you needed anything; Clothes, shoes, your bag for school, _anything_.”

Cooper hadn’t exactly thought of that. It was impulsive, what he’d said. It still made sense to him, though. They still wanted to be able to spend whatever time they could together and didn’t want another big change to wreak havoc on their dynamic again. 

“Okay, what if,” he hesitated. He needed Oliver to actually want to hear this. He didn’t want Oliver to only be arguing with him over it for the sake of arguing. He wanted to be wanted. Cooper swallowed hard and adjusted his position on the bed, sitting up straighter. Oliver’s eyes were pleading with him for a solution.

“What if we move nearly everything? We leave some of my clothes up here and we move some of your stuff. And we just… share the room? We can share clothes and Mom won’t be upset about the lack of space.”

Oliver thought about it. Cooper could practically see the gears turning in his head as he thought out every option and every problem that could happen with his suggestion. Finally, he nodded. 

“It could work. But, new plan! We’re moving all of my clothes.” 

“All?” 

“All. Yours are nicer and it’s not like we don’t already share them anyway. We’ll use your clothes but my closet. Deal?” 

“Deal.” 

Cooper and Oliver smiled at each other. They would still get to stay together and they’d be able to make Katie happy too. It worked perfectly. Not to mention, Oliver’s social status would increase with him finally being properly clothed all the time. 

Their heads turned at a knock on the door. It was Taylor.

“Hey, guys, have you seen my green sweater? You know, the cute cropped one?” 

“Why would we have seen your sweater,” Oliver grumbled.

“Oh, you mean the grass green cable knit sweater of synthetic wool?” 

Oliver stared at Cooper in bafflement. 

Seeing Oliver’s look, Cooper spat out, “Nope, haven’t seen it.” He had. It was shoved in the linen closet from where Anna-Kat had thrown it when she spilled apple juice on it. 

Taylor came further into the room and looked at them and the bed they were on. Oliver gave her an expectant look. 

“Can we help you?” 

“Do you two cuddle? Trip and I do. Or we _did_.” Her cheeriness dipped into bitterness at the thought of what her parents had done that led to her not being able to cuddle with her boyfriend anymore at night. 

Cooper tossed a fond look Oliver’s way when, as if on cue, he rolled his eyes and thew his in arms in exasperation. 

“He’s not my boyfriend!” 

Cooper expected that to be it. 

“No offense, Cooper. I’m sure you’d be a good boyfriend,” Oliver continued.

His heart swelled. 

“I’d be a great boyfriend,” he corrected. “But none taken.” 

Oliver grinned. 

“Whatever,” Taylor tossed over her shoulder as she left the room. 

“Alright, not-boyfriend, want to go get some breakfast?” 

“Please, I’m starving!” Oliver practically ran to the table as Cooper laughed behind him, his heart full and light.

**Author's Note:**

> How'd I do? Did I get the characters' voices right? What did you like/dislike? Any suggestions for more? Should I write more? 
> 
> Please leave kudos and a comment! 💜


End file.
